Taiwan Church News

CWM East Asia Region Roundtable highlights sharing of knowledge and resources

Reported by Fang Lan-ting and Lin Yi-ying

Written by Lydia Ma

The Council for World Mission (CWM) is an organization that serves as a bridge facilitating partnership and dialogue between churches from around the world. CWM’s East Asia Region held a roundtable meeting on May 6-9, 2012 in Singapore, which was attended by PCT delegates Rev. Lyim Hong-tiong (Associate General Secretary of the PCT) and Rev. Fang Lan-ting (Taiwan Church News General Editor).

Lyim shared with the other CWM delegates about some of the unique ministries of the PCT, such as the New Doubling Movement, the New Eyes Bible Reading Movement, the Women’s ministries, the Life Education curriculum, and more. These ministries were lauded by CWM delegates from various countries and received financial support from the CWM. Delegates present at the meeting also expressed interest in collaborating with the PCT in various ministries in the future.

During a portion of the meeting, all the delegates were invited to tour the new CWM office in Singapore that will soon commence operations. They also met with CWM General Secretary Collin Cowan, who discussed CWM’s plans for the future as well as issues arising from its constitution.

With the help and meticulous planning of CWM EAR Secretary Hong Chung-chih, a PCT representative, the roundtable meeting and discussions went smoothly and delegates learned a lot about the current state of affairs in various countries as well as the mission strategies of various churches. Among the topics discussed were North Korea’s threat to South Korea, China’s threat to Taiwan, ethnic diversity in Singapore, the predominance of Muslims in Malaysia, the struggle for freedom in Myanmar, and rising unemployment in Hong Kong. Delegates said that these phenomena had great effects on the outcome and the planning of mission strategies.

CWM is a vital organization in the ecumenical church today and serves as a great platform for churches to share their resources, said Lyim. He added that PCT’s participation in CWM was a great means for the PCT to share with others what Taiwanese churches had, as well as a means to seek assistance. Faced with the inability to participate in international organizations as a sovereign and independent country, Taiwan must depend on ecumenical church partnerships to offer and receive assistance for the benefit of all.

3142 Edition

Youth representatives of the Hong Kong Council of the Church of Christ in China visit PCT headquarter office

Reported by Lin Yi-ying

Written by Lydia Ma

Youth representatives of the Hong Kong Council of the Church of Christ in China (HKCCCC) visited Taiwan and the PCT on May 7-11, 2012. The 6 delegates representing the HKCCCC were keen to learn about PCT’s youth, college, children, educational, communications, and social justice ministries. They looked forward to this trip as an opportunity to observe PCT ministries and dialogue with Taiwanese churches.

Upon learning more about the work of the PCT, delegates felt that the PCT’s evangelistic ministries were not only diverse but also holistic. These ministries would serve as great references for them when they considered ministry strategies for their own college and youth ministries in the future.

When HKCCCC delegates arrived at PCT General Assembly Office, they were greeted by PCT General Secretary Andrew Chang and he gave a presentation on “One-leads-One, New Doubling Movement” as well as “6 Evangelical Dimensions of a Healthy Church”. Chang underscored that both Taiwan and Hong Kong churches must pay attention to spiritual problems arising from living in highly developed societies. He added that as youths face increasing challenges, churches also face increasing responsibilities.

According to Liang Yuan-yao, HKCCCC’s Christian Nurturing Department Director, there are 65 HKCCCC churches in Hong-Kong and 86 HKCCCC-sponsored schools and social welfare organizations. In contrast, PCT has many presbyteries and a solid organizational structure, and also serves people from many ethnicities and languages. However, there are many similarities between youths from both churches and the common challenge for HKCCCC and PCT is to design adequate youth programs or youth meetings that can inspire youths to come to church.

One of the Hong Kong delegates said that the Council for World Mission’s “I Love Hong Kong Mission” youth camp held in 2010 had been modeled after PCT’s “I Love Taiwan Mission” youth camp. He added that exchanges between church youths in Taiwan and Hong Kong had helped youths from both sides to increase in knowledge and maturity.

Wuta indigenous residents protest illegal tunnel construction

Reported by Lin Yi-ying

Written by Lydia Ma

Though the Legislative Yuan has already passed a bill ordering an immediate halt to the construction of the Wuta Tunnel in Nan-ao, the Directorate General of Highways has so far ignored this order and continued on with its work. For this reason, 50 Wuta residents staged a protest in front of the Legislative Yuan on May 8, 2012.

Residents warned that if construction continues without regard to the order passed by the Legislative Yuan or the rights of indigenous peoples as prescribed in the Aboriginal Basic Act, and if an alternative route is not sought, as requested by indigenous communities in Wuta, they will begin closing down roads in protest – a right granted to them by the Aboriginal Basic Act.

The Suhua Highway Improvement Project is a plan to improve dangerous sections of the Suhua Highway and construction of a 38.4 km long road began in January 2011 in Heping, Hualien. However, indigenous residents living in Wuta Reservation in Nan-ao, Yilan are concerned that the Wuta Tunnel, a tunnel to be built near their reservation which is also part of the project, will compromise their safety and cause landslides.

“We ask that you negotiate with us according to the framework laid out in the Aboriginal Basic Act. Respect the will of indigenous peoples living in Wuta and get consent before you proceed with your work. We urge the government to refrain from being obstinate because indigenous peoples aren’t to be trifled with. We will fight to our death to protect our land and our mother!” said protesters.

Led by Atayal Presbytery Church and Society Committee Director Chen Hong-yi, Wuta residents shouted, “Respect the National Assembly! Stop construction immediately!”, “Equal negotiations! Halt constructions!”, “Don’t sacrifice Wuta!”, and “Please give us a safe reservation!”

Wuta Presbyterian Church pastor, Rev. Meryang Haying, explained that residents were neither notified nor consulted at the beginning of this project. They were notified only when it was time to expropriate the land and their consent in this matter was never sought. “Who do they think indigenous peoples are?” she exclaimed angrily.

According to reports, Nan-Ao recently experienced torrential rains which resulted in the severe flooding and blockage of the main road connecting the region with the rest of the country. Residents said the flooding had been caused by many temporary barriers and bridges that had been built to facilitate construction, which changed the natural course of the water.

Taiwan Church News reported on this issue in its 3135 issue. For background information refer to: http://enews-pctpress.org/home/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=498:3135-wuta-indigenous-residents-protest-new-highway-project-for-fear-of-mudslide&catid=80:20121&Itemid=74

Taiwanese churches pray for the life of one little boy and help and comfort one family

Reported by Simon Lin

Written by Lydia Ma

It is a well-known fact that medical resources in Penghu Island, an off-shore island of Taiwan, is scarce when compared to Taiwan proper. For this reason, Chen Pei-yu, a new member of Makong Presbyterian Church, had to transfer his son to a larger hospital in Kaohsiung at the beginning of March 2012 for treatment when his son was diagnosed with complications arising from Type A Influenza.

According to Chen, her 3-year-old son Hao-lin, contracted Type A Influenza at first, but complications soon led to multiple organ failure and sepsis. When the hospital in Penghu transferred the boy to Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Medical Hospital in March, her home church in Penghu, Makong Presbyterian Church, notified Rev. Wang Tzu-hao from San-Yi Presbyterian Church in Kaohsiung to ask for his help in comforting this family and seeing them through these trying times.

Leaving their jobs behind for a while, Chen and her husband and their 5-year-old son rushed to Taiwan to care for Hao-lin. They met Wang on the night they arrived to Taiwan and he accompanied them to the hospital the following day to visit Hao-lin.

According to reports Hao-lin’s health improved for a while but deteriorated again on May 7 and most organs in his body then began to shut down. Though his heart stopped beating at one point, physicians were able to revive him after many tries. Hao-lin is currently in a coma and needs to be hooked to medical equipment to stay alive. Doctors have warned the family that he may not survive.

“I am depending and hoping for a miracle,” Chen Pei-yu said. She added that she often calls out her son’s name softly when she is by his bedside and tells him to be strong. Her friends at Makong Church have also been praying for her and for Hao-lin. Though the family isn’t Christian yet, they’ve been greatly moved by the prayers and support they’ve received from local churches.

“Soon after we enter the CU, Rev. Tzu-hao leads us in prayer for Hao-lin and we also pray again after the visit. I feel a strong sense of peace wash over me when we pray.” Chen Pei-yu said. Rev. Tzu-hao has also relayed her message to Kaohsiung Presbytery and her church in Chen’s church in Makong.

According to Rev. Tzu-hao, the hospital only allows visitors to visit the intensive care unit once in the morning and once in the evening for the duration of 30 minutes to 1 hour. Hence, he accompanied several elders of his church to visit Hao-lin just before a dangerous surgery to remove an ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) device from his body. This device had originally been placed to help Hao-lin’s blood circulation as his lungs and heart weren’t functioning properly but had also caused serious bleeding. The church staff were able to comfort the family and ask them if they wanted to baptize Hao-lin. The family agreed and the boy was baptized hours before his surgery. The surgery also went well but churches must continue to pray for this boy, who is still in a coma, and for his family.

According to Yang Yao, a DPP legislator in Penghu, this offshore island is one of the least developed areas in Taiwan in terms of medical care and medical technology due to inadequate distribution of resources at the national level. Funding channeled to the two local hospitals in Penghu is often insufficient, which translates into inadequate hospital facilities for treating patients. For this reason, many patients have been forced to transfer to a better hospital in Taiwan proper and some have even died during the 5 hour journey to Taiwan.

Yang underscored that residents in Penghu have been marginalized and deprived of adequate medical care though they pay the same premium as the rest of the nation. He added that the government should learn from Christian churches in reaching out and caring for marginalized groups.